The rain poured down heavily outside, so Ru Shi decided to have her stay at home for the time being.
It was convenient that Miaozhen could help her mother with the household chores.
Madam Qiu usually spent her time teaching them to read, sewing, keeping accounts, and managing the household.
Madam Mei prepared the two rooms on the west side for the main family’s three members to live in, and arranged for Xu Siniang and Miaozhen to stay together.
“It will only be a few days. Let’s be patient and endure it; we can’t let the relatives gossip,” Madam Mei said.
Miaozhen smiled and replied, “Your daughter understands.”
Because Xu Siniang was soaked from head to toe, Miaozhen had Xiao Xi and Xiao Tao help her bathe first.
However, since Xu Siniang took a hot bath, she didn’t want the girls to see her naked.
She got out of the tub herself, but realized she hadn’t brought a towel.
Seeing a stack of paper nearby, she wiped her body with those sheets, then put on her clothes and came out.
Xiao Xi noticed the skirt on Xu Siniang was worn down, especially at the back around the seat, and immediately understood that Xu Siniang was stingy.
Upon entering the room, she saw crumpled paper scattered all over the floor and shouted, “Just for a piece of flax cloth, only a few cuts of paper should be enough. Our young mistress usually saves every scrap, so how come there are seventy or eighty pieces of paper here? This is such a waste!”
Outside, Xu Siniang’s face flushed red.
Her parents helped her third brother and had little money; she only ate there and did not spin thread diligently herself, just earning some pocket money to buy a little Lotus Flower Oil.
Although the third branch’s business was doing well, they were thrifty to the point that they used twigs or leaves instead of paper for toilet needs.
She had no idea about the paper mess and went to find Madam Mei.
At that moment, Madam Mei and Miaozhen were talking with the main family’s mother and daughter.
Over the past two years, Miaoyun had grown even more beautiful; her face was the best among the Xu family’s young ladies.
She wore silk clothes and held a polished silk handkerchief embroidered with orchids—simple yet elegant.
Madam Huang noticed that Madam Mei had recently added new furniture: a white rosewood Luohan Couch, a three-legged incense burner with rolling grass patterns beside it, a cloud-patterned high flower stand in front, and a copper brazier on the flower stand.
It gave off a refined atmosphere.
She also recalled that the outer wall seemed to have been rebuilt with decorative flower walls.
Madam Mei said, “I’ve assigned my maid, Xiu Er, to serve sister-in-law. If there’s anything to eat or play with and I’m not around, sister-in-law can just ask her.”
Madam Huang laughed, “Sister-in-law, you’re too polite,” but did not refuse.
She glanced around and complained that her husband, despite being a Gongsheng, was less accomplished than a Xiucai.
Outside, Feng Niang was bringing hawthorn cake, lily pastries, and several cups of tea.
Miaoyun was asking Miaozhen, “Have you started studying the Four Books yet?”
“I’ve finished them all. Right now, I’m reading the Zhouyi and learning divination,” Miaozhen answered.
“What about you, sister?”
Miaoyun smiled wryly.
“I’m studying alongside that family’s young lady. I understand everything, but she can’t even grasp the Daxue.”
“No way. What does the Qian Hu Fu Ren say about her?”
Miaozhen asked, speechless.
Miaoyun shrugged, “The Qian Hu Fu Ren dotes on her, but even when she pricked her finger sewing, it was usually me who helped with the needlework.”
“She’s really quite spoiled. Sister must be very uncomfortable at her house,” Miaozhen said sympathetically, handing her a lily pastry.
“I can make bone-in abalone snails now. I’ll cook some for you in a few days.”
Miaozhen felt her sister was treated like a servant in that household.
Miaoyun first thanked her and then added, “Her marriage has already been arranged—the second son of General Ding Yuan. Her future is set.”
“Those official families always arrange strong alliances,” Miaozhen replied calmly.
“My father says to save up a dowry over the next few years so I can marry into a good family.”
Breaking class barriers in modern times is difficult; in ancient times, even more so.
It’s best to be practical.
Yet Miaoyun felt resentful.
She was clearly better than that Qian Hu lady in every way, but was still treated like a maid, without even a proper room.
As they spoke, Xu Siniang appeared, her hair still wrapped in damp cloth.
Madam Huang frowned immediately.
A girl in her teens should know better than to come out with wet hair like that.
Madam Mei was startled as well and quickly said, “Sister, there are people coming and going. You should go inside; I’ll have someone dry your hair.”
Yinhuan quickly led Xu Siniang into the inner chamber.
Fortunately, they had gone inside because Madam Ma was leading Li Lao Furen over to pay respects.
Li Lao Furen was a high-ranking official’s widow who had returned from the capital, and her attire and demeanor were unmistakably different.
She had come to the Ma household because the heavy rain had damaged her own home.
Madam Huang, seeing Li Lao Furen’s stature, was happy to keep her company.
Miaozhen took Miaoyun aside to talk quietly.
When they came out, they saw the Li family brothers: Li Xi Lie and Li Xi Meng, both dressed in amber jackets and oil boots, holding umbrellas but no rain hats, with netted caps and hairpins—exuding the aura of noble scions.
“Li Da Langjun, Li Er Langjun,” Miaozhen recognized them from her studies at the Ma family’s girls’ school.
Though their family had fallen on hard times, she didn’t dare take them lightly.
Li Xi Lie was usually flirtatious with women but was surprisingly gentle toward young Miaozhen.
He smiled, “My grandmother forgot her back brace, luckily we brothers brought it over.”
Miaozhen pointed to the main room.
“Please go ahead, gentlemen.”
After saying this, she took Miaoyun and left.
Back at the embroidery building, Xiao Xi complained about how Xu Siniang had wasted so much paper wiping herself.
Miaozhen said, “Since that’s the case, she can’t use my room to waste things anymore. Clean out the room downstairs by the window and move my bamboo bed there for her. Make it comfortable.”
In a humble household, every scrap of material is precious.
Miaozhen had crossed over from modern times—though no toilet paper existed in this era, there was paper, but it was expensive.
She hadn’t expected this aunt to be so careless with it, and after all, it was her paper, not Xu Siniang’s.
Miaoyun asked, “Who were the two young gentlemen we saw just now?”
“Oh, they’re relatives of the Ma family next door. They used to hold high positions in the capital but resigned after offending someone. Still, a rotten boat has three thousand nails; I heard Li Da Langjun’s father is now working at the Scholar’s Residence in Hangzhou Prefecture, while Li Er Langjun’s father is an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Works. They’re both official family scions,” Miaozhen explained with a smile.
She hadn’t meant anything by it, but Miaoyun felt a stir in her heart.
Xiao Tao brought silk threads, and Miaozhen began splitting them with Miaoyun.
The Xu family was a small household, and the maids didn’t have many rules. Xiao Tao said, “Miss, do you think Miss Ma next door will marry into the Li family?”
“That’s unlikely. Madam Ma dotes on Sister Yulan and knows the Li family’s pride. They’re not the same kind,” Miaozhen replied.
“Some fallen families marry merchant daughters for money. After marrying in, the woman’s family almost buys the status with wealth—at least three or four dowry ships. That would empty the Ma family completely.”
Miaozhen was ambitious but not delusional.
She knew her place.
Meanwhile, inside, the maids helped Xu Siniang dry her hair halfway and styled it into a bun.
She was told that the ladies outside were busy attending to Ma Tai Tai, so she could return if she had nothing else to do.
Xu Siniang was two years older than Miaozhen.
Miaozhen was just ten and a half years old; Xu Siniang was thirteen, already familiar with the ways of the world.
Her engagement hadn’t been arranged yet, and she was anxious.
She hadn’t expected to see the two young gentlemen outside and suddenly felt her heart flutter, standing rooted to the spot.
Night fell.
Xu Siniang slept on the first floor, the room filled with the pungent scent of moxa.
She resented Miaozhen for not letting her sleep upstairs, thinking it was disdain.
She also mulled over what Mrs. San had said—that second brother, Jiacheng, was always talking about debts but actually lived well and knew distinguished people, just unwilling to favor her.
Despite these thoughts, she eventually fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Xu Erpeng was still in the study writing by lamplight.
The night was when his inspiration struck the most.
No matter the weather—wind, rain, bitter cold, or scorching heat—he never wrote less than his daily quota.
Because of this stubborn insomnia, he had suffered for many years.
Fortunately, his daughter studied medicine and sometimes brewed Acorn Decoction for his migraines.
Today, hearing he was a bit anxious, she sent someone to the pharmacy for Restore Spleen Decoction.
As he wrote, he yawned frequently, likely to have no trouble sleeping tonight.
The next morning, the rain had lessened somewhat.
Miaozhen was already cutting fabric to make a Water-field Bijia, which she planned to gift to Ru Shi.
It was a time-consuming process, and she had been working on it for a month.
Xiao Tao was bringing down the leftover breakfast when Xiao Xi said, “Da Langjun said he wants to invite his friends over for a meal and gave money to buy good dishes.”
“With such heavy rain, I wonder how they’ll get here?”
Miaozhen laughed.
She had no idea that Xu Da Lang had struggled these past years.
He and Madam Huang often quarreled because she found him useless, and he was unwilling to stay.
Just yesterday, Madam Huang insisted on buying a new residence, complaining about his incompetence.
Xu Erpeng, seeing his brother so eager to meet friends, thought to himself that his brother was more generous than he was with their own siblings.
Did he even have any friends?
They hadn’t exchanged a word in years.
But he said nothing and returned to writing in the study.
Because of the heavy rain, he had moved his books indoors to avoid them getting wet.
Xu Da Lang’s friend soon arrived, wearing a tall hat and a lake-blue silk robe, wooden clogs on his feet.
He looked around and said, “Brother Yiming, when the Zhang County Magistrate resigned, you went north and I went south. Now I’m pursuing an official career while you’ve become a wealthy landowner—it’s not bad at all.”
Xu Da Lang had intended to say that the house belonged to his brother, not him, but somehow he ended up agreeing.
“You’re well-positioned in Jinling now. If not for hearing you were visiting family, I wouldn’t have seen you. Please forgive my humble home.”